InterestingFacts: Marmosets Call Each Other by Name

 

Original photo by Gogosvm/ iStock

Marmosets call each other by name.

Most of our pet cats and dogs know their names, but they (probably) didn’t come up with those names on their own. In fact, only one nonhuman primate is known to use names: the humble marmoset. The small, chatty monkeys have joined a highly exclusive club that also includes parrots and dolphins, as research from 2024 notes that marmosets use unique vocalizations to label one another. 

Marmosets are highly social creatures, and their whistle-like “phee calls” are meant to inform fellow group members of their location. The study found that when marmosets who knew each other were placed in the same room with a barrier that blocked them from seeing one another, they not only engaged in chitchat but used unique vocalizations for one another — essentially, names. Conservation biologist George Wittemyer of Colorado State University, who led a similar study that found African elephants “name” each other as well, believes the list of animals who engage in this practice could continue growing. He told The New York Times, “It’s likely that animals actually have names for each other a lot more than maybe we ever conceived.”


Note:  The above comes directly from their website.  


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